Kiwi driver Scott McLaughlin has squandered his lead to finish at the back of the field at the IndyCar Grand Prix at Indianapolis on Sunday (NZ time).
In a chaotic race, McLaughlin spun out after opting to remain on slick rather than switching to wet weather tires, as heavy rain wreaked havoc on the field halfway through the race at the iconic Brickyard track.
One of three drivers who chose to stay on slicks, McLaughlin led for five laps overall before the rain struck, losing traction under the yellow flag to consign him to an 18th place finish.
The race - which ended as a timed contest under caution - was won by Colton Herta, with Simon Pagenaud in second and Australian Will Power, who started in pole position, in third.
The result sees Australian Power leapfrog Alex Palou to move to the top of the driver's championship standings, bumping McLaughlin from second down to third.
After finishing 21st in qualifying, Kiwi veteran Scott Dixon recovered from running out of fuel to finish 10th.
"I'm embarrassed to be honest," said Dixon after the race. "It's been a struggle.
"Lots of set-up changes, probably too much, it’s been a little hard to keep up with all the things we have changed, the car has been drastically different each time."
The competition now moves on to the biggest day in its calendar - the Indy 500 on May 30.
